1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to building construction. More particularly, the invention relates to shuttering elements for use in building construction and to a method of building construction.
2. Summary of the Invention
According to the invention there is provided a shuttering element which is of a synthetic plastics material and which comprises a rectangular planar shuttering wall and peripheral side walls projecting in one direction from the opposite side edges of the shuttering wall, engagement and locking formations being defined by the shuttering element along the respective sides thereof for permitting engagement and releasable locking of similar shuttering elements to one another into an operative configuration in which their shuttering walls form an extended continuous planar shuttering surface.
The shuttering element may define locating formations for receiving and locating a link rod whereby opposing shuttering elements, in an operative configuration of a shuttering structure, can be linked together in a desired spaced apart configuration. More particularly, locating formations may be defined at a location along at least one side edge of the shuttering element and, preferably, locating formations may be defined at locations along two or more side edges of the shuttering element. The locating formations of adjacent similar shuttering elements, in their operative configuration, can co-operate to locate a link rod with respect thereto. More particularly, the locating formations may be formed to locate a rod element of a link rod and engage a removable head formation, engageable with the rod element, for locating the link rod with respect to two adjacent similar shuttering elements.
According to a preferred embodiment of the shuttering element of the invention, the shuttering wall of the shuttering element may be substantially square. Still further, the shuttering element may include at least one reinforcing formation for reinforcing the planar configuration of its shuttering wall and the required configuration of the side walls with respect thereto. More particularly, the shuttering element may include a lattice of reinforcing ribs extending between the side walls of the shuttering element.
The side walls of the shuttering element may preferably project perpendicularly from the shuttering wall.
The shuttering element may clearly be of any suitable dimensions and preferably, the outer dimensions of the shuttering wall may be between 200mm.times.200mm and 600mm.times.600mm. Typically the said outer dimensions may be approximately 300mm.times.300mm. Still further, the width of the side walls of the shuttering element may typically be approximately 30mm, whereas the thickness of the respective walls of the shuttering element may be between 2mm and 10mm. The said side wall width dimension and wall thickness dimension may particularly be determined by the strength requirements of the shuttering element.
The shuttering element may further be of a synthetic plastics material known in the trade as ABS and, preferably, may be an integrally formed injection moulded element of the above or any other suitable synthetic plastics material, nylon also being considered particularly suitable.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shuttering element may include separate engagement and locking formations for permitting engagement and releasable locking of similar shuttering elements to one another. As such, the engagement formations may include profiled tongue formations projecting from the sides of the shuttering element and, complementary receiving formations defined on the sides of the shuttering element, the said formations being disposed to permit secure engagement of similar shuttering elements with one another and to hold together the shuttering walls of the shuttering elements in an abutting adjacent configuration.
Also, the locking formations may then comprise clipping formations, whereby engaged shuttering elements can be releasably locked in their engaged configuration. The clipping formations may be formed so that they can effectively resist the required displacement of engaged shuttering elements that will permit the tongue formations to disengage complementary receiving formations, thereby releasably locking engaged shuttering elements to one another.
The shuttering element of the invention may be modular and may be adapted to co-operate with other similar shuttering elements of different modular sizes.
The invention extends also to a link rod which is specifically adapted for use with shuttering elements in accordance with the present invention, a typical link rod comprising an elongate rod element that can extend across a space defined between opposing shuttering elements, and two removable head formations removably engageable with the rod element, near opposite ends thereof, that can engage formations defined by the shuttering elements on the operative outer sides thereof for securing the spacing between the shuttering elements. According to one embodiment, the elongage rod element may define a circular cross-sectional profile and peripheral grooves near opposite ends thereof, and the head formations are flat formations having keyhole apertures therein that permit engagement with the peripheral grooves and rotation of the head formations when so engaged, for the engagement with the shuttering elements. The link rod may also be of a synthetic plastics material such as ABS, nylon, or the like.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a shuttering system which includes shuttering elements and link rods in accordance with the present invention, the shuttering elements permitting the construction of a part of or the complete shuttering for a building construction to be constructed and the link rods securing the spacing between opposing shuttering elements.
The shuttering system may further include special purpose shuttering members adapted and formed to co-operate with the shuttering elements to facilitate the internal and external corner construction of shuttering, wall end construction of shuttering, the provision of openings in walls, and the like.
Still a further aspect of the invention provides for a method of building construction which includes
forming a complete shuttering structure whereby the walls of a building construction are defined, utilising shuttering elements and link rods in accordance with the present invention; and
filling a settable material into the shuttering structure and allowing the settable material to set and cure and thereby form the walls of the required building construction.
The method of the invention may particularly include pre-forming entire wall sections of a shuttering structure to be constructed and erecting the wall sections on site.
Also, the method may include utilising special purpose shuttering members that can provide for special wall formations of a building construction to be constructed.
The method of the invention may preferably include first forming the operative inner walls of a shuttering structure and thereafter forming the outer walls of the shuttering structure and then linking inner walls to each other and then to the outer walls of the structure.
The method of the invention may still further include locating suitable reinforcing for a settable material within spaces defined between opposing shuttering elements of a shuttering structure. The reinforcing may typically comprise wire mesh.
The method of the invention may also include filling the settable material gradually into the shuttering structure so that the complete structure is evenly filled. Also, the shuttering structure may be subjected to vibration during and after pouring of the settable material to thereby eliminate air pockets.
Still further, the method may include that, after initial setting of the settable material, the link rods acting between the inner and outer walls of the shuttering structure are first removed and thereafter the walls of the shuttering structure.
The method of the invention may particularly include utilising concrete, mortar, aerated concrete with or without a chemical additive, or the like, as a settable material for forming the walls or other formations of a building construction. Although the shuttering element of the invention and the method of building as above defined essentially provide for the construction of buildings in the form of domestic homes, other domestic structures, and the like, the shuttering elements can clearly also be utilised for any other building structures or general structures that can be formed through the use of the shuttering elements. Many different special purpose elements and members than can co-operate with the shuttering elements of the invention can clearly also be designed and utilised for different applications of the shuttering elements.